Learn Spanish (Latin America): Tiene una caries pequeñita nomás, relájese.

Tiene una caries pequeñita nomás, relájese.

You just have a tiny cavity, relax.

Breakdown of Tiene una caries pequeñita nomás, relájese.

Questions & Answers about Tiene una caries pequeñita nomás, relájese.

How does nomás change the tone here compared to just saying Solo tiene una caries pequeñita?

Using solo (only/just) at the beginning simply states a fact, but putting nomás at the end of the phrase acts as a pragmatic softener. In Latin America, attaching nomás to the end of a diagnosis or issue minimizes its severity and reassures the listener—which perfectly sets up the command to relax.

Why is it una caries instead of una carie?

The word for a dental cavity, caries, is an invariable noun that naturally ends in an -s, even when singular. You use the exact same form whether it is singular (una caries) or plural (tres caries).

Why use the diminutive pequeñita instead of just pequeña?

While pequeña (small) is grammatically fine, the diminutive pequeñita (tiny) works hand-in-hand with nomás to double down on the attenuation (softening). The speaker is stacking these reassuring elements to make the issue sound as harmless as possible.

The sentence uses the formal usted for tiene and relájese. How would this change if the dentist were treating a child?